U.S. immigration policy is worst of both worlds

Tuesday

Jun 18, 2013 at 12:01 AMJun 18, 2013 at 8:23 AM

Current U.S. immigration policy is a failure. A major change is necessary.

Current U.S. immigration policy is a failure. A major change is necessary.

Policy now is the worst of both worlds: Americans have poor border security while social-welfare programs offer a financial magnet which helps attract low-skilled immigrants from all parts of the world. Many of these low-skilled immigrants enter the United States illegally.

Any change in policy must deal with both of these problems, but of late, it is questionable if the current immigration bill making its way through the U.S. Senate will do an adequate job of reforming our broken system.

On Sunday, U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., said she would get behind the bill, giving it newfound strength. She insisted the bill will have border-security measures.

The immigration-reform bill still has a tall climb. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives wants a bill that does not grant citizenship to immigrants who are undocumented or who came to the United States illegally, even if that process takes 13 years.

The fact that the path to citizenship for the nation's 11 million undocumented immigrants would take 13 years is proof the bill is not soft on illegal immigrants; nor is the proposal an "amnesty" bill.

The reform bill would put undocumented immigrants "to the back of the line" in their application process, according to Ayotte. The immigrants would also have to pass background checks, pay taxes and fines, and learn English.

Of course, critics will still scoff at the bill, especially if it is too loaded with "pork" amendments or tries to spend too much money on related spending programs for immigrants.

But the reform measures in the Senate bill are getting tougher. The bill is partially the work of Florida's U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican and a son of Cuban immigrants, who saw the need to do something about one of America's largest unsolved problems.

For more than two decades, lawmakers have decided to do next to nothing about illegal immigration, letting the problem fester while more undocumented aliens arrive every day.

Congress has approved some measures to increase border security along the U.S.-Mexican border in the past decade, but it is far from enough. The job of securing the border remains unfinished, and any comprehensive immigration reform must substantially invest in new border security if passage is expected.

There has been a slow and steady influx of undocumented immigrants in the past 20 years. Their numbers have reportedly swelled to 11 million or more. It is simply impossible for the United States to deport such a large mass of illegal immigrants.

These undocumented immigrants create a large burden on many

social-service agencies, and also on the police, school systems and more. In some states, illegal aliens have had little problem tapping into welfare benefits. That is unacceptable.

Congress must develop a bipartisan, fair and tough immigration-reform bill. It should include a path to citizenship, but one that takes a long time to walk.

A reform bill must also address the need to slow or halt the influx of illegal immigrants.

It is true the United States is mostly a nation of immigrants or people with ties to immigration. That is one of the nation's defining qualities; it helps make America great.

Future immigration, however, needs to be legal and documented. Congress and the White House must stop dithering and act to make it so.

DAYTONA BEACH NEWS-JOURNAL

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